


Parallel Lines

by luucarii



Series: Scum's Wish AU [1]
Category: New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, M/M, Replacements, Scum's Wish AU, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-22
Updated: 2018-02-22
Packaged: 2019-03-22 10:45:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13762461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luucarii/pseuds/luucarii
Summary: Shuichi stuck out his hand, lifting his pinky in the air and watched Kokichi mimic his actions. That day, in the hazy humidity of summer, they made a pact. That neither of them would fall in love with the other. If one happened to make it with the one they wanted, the relationship would end.“Simply put,” Kokichi murmured, a smile creasing his lips, “you can have everything but my feelings.”“And you can have everything but mine.”





	Parallel Lines

**Author's Note:**

> Title's based on the ED song from Scum's Wish "Heikousen" or "Parallel Lines"
> 
> I finally finished watching Scum’s Wish (Kuzu no Honkai) and myGOD what an ending so here, take more of this AU from me because I’m actually obsessed.

“Ah, are you okay?”

 

Shuichi didn’t realize he was on the floor until Rantaro spoke. He looked up and met the green haired boy who was sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. Shuichi held back a scowl. He spent weeks doing his best to avoid any contact with him, and just by chance the two happened to bump into each other in the hallway — somehow hard enough for them to both fall backward.

 

Shuichi didn’t respond as he picked himself up, reaching for his bag. With too many eyes watching him, he was almost obliged to help Rantaro to his feet. Just before Shuichi could reluctantly outstretch his hand, Rantaro was already being pulled to his feet by another boy. A boy Shuichi had seen a few times in the hallways but never cared enough to listen for his name. He was shorter than Rantaro and had purple hair curled in an almost unkept way.

 

“Are you alright, Rantaro?” The boy asked and Shuichi scoffed inwardly at the friendly concern in his tone. No doubt he was another one of Rantaro’s fans. The thought made Shuichi want to roll his eyes immediately and walk away but the way the boy acted around him seemed different than what Shuichi saw of Rantaro’s fangirls.

 

“Thank you Kokichi.” Rantaro gave one of his infamous smiles as he watched the purple haired boy, Kokichi, pick up the remainder of his school supplies that had slipped out of his bag. Kokichi seemed to eye Rantaro with a sparkle of longing, the same look Shuichi knew all too well. Shuichi knew it because it was the same way he’d look at Kaede whenever they talked — which was rarely now that she was busy with piano lessons and spending the rest of her free time with Rantaro.

 

Rantaro flung his bag over his shoulder, thanked Kokichi one last time and gave an apologetic smile to Shuichi before excusing himself, merging back into the crowd of students. Kokichi seemed to linger in his spot, his hands resting in his pockets. Behind him, Shuichi caught his attention.

 

“Hey.”

 

Kokichi looked back and in a moment, they met eyes for the first time.

 

“Do you…know who he likes?” The question came off unnatural but Shuichi had to ask.

 

Kokichi’s plain expression did not change. “Yeah. I do.”

 

\--

 

The two found themselves meeting after school on the patio of one of the science classes, overlooking the school gate. They watched silently as Kaede and Rantaro walked together as they left school grounds. Kaede was giggling and Rantaro was smiling, Shuichi imagined him telling some cheesy joke that Kaede would no doubt find humor in. She was easily amused, one of the many things Shuichi loved about her. Kokichi sighed, eyes narrowing at Kaede before his attention shifted to Rantaro and the somewhat hostile gaze softened.

 

“Rantaro used to tutor me back in middle school. He transferred out before the end of junior high. I never thought I’d see him again.” Kokichi explained aloud, eyes shifting over to blink at Shuichi who was too busy observing Kaede to seem to care.

 

“I don’t see the appeal of someone like him. I mean, sure he’s cute but he looks like the same playboy you see in romance manga.” Shuichi sighed and buried his head in his arms, ignoring Kokichi’s defensive remarks toward Rantaro.

 

“Kaede and I grew up together.” Shuichi mumbled, “but I bet all she sees me as is a brother.”

 

Kokichi snickered to himself but said nothing. Shuichi hated admitting it but he felt a sort of tie to Kokichi, both as victims of unrequited love. Though, with only knowing very little of him, Shuichi knew he’d rather not associate with him. His sort of childish attitude and over infatuation for Rantaro annoyed him more than anything. 

 

Yet somehow, throughout the warming months of April, May and June, the two grew closer. It seemed natural for the two who had one main thing in common to meet up. Shuichi learned to deal with Kokichi’s occasional antics and Kokichi tried his best to get it through Shuichi’s head that Rantaro wasn’t as bad as he made him out to be.

 

It was near the end of June when it happened, the catalyst. The sky was gray, harsh rain pouring out and slamming against the window of Kokichi’s dorm room. Shuichi found himself succumbing to boredom and aimlessly stretching his body out on Kokichi’s bed.

 

“Your hair’s still wet, get away from my sheets.” Kokichi grumbled, all his focus centered on the video game he was playing. Shuichi couldn’t find any interest in it, just another boring platformer, though he wasn’t too fond of video games to begin with.

 

“I just want school to end. And never see half the kids in our school again.”

 

“Including Kaede?” Kokichi couldn’t help but tease him with that comment, chuckling softly to himself, “you’re willing to give her up so soon?”

 

Shuichi looked up, eyes narrowing onto Kokichi, “never.”

 

At that, Kokichi scoffed but kept quiet. He concentrated on button mashing and barely heard Shuichi when he spoke again.

 

“But...”

 

“But?”

 

Shuichi couldn’t fumble with the words, mostly because he didn’t have any to say at the moment. He started the thought without any intention of finishing it. He stared at Kokichi for a few seconds and found himself shifting closer to him. Closer, closer, until his arms settled around his neck, and his head rested on Kokichi’s shoulder. He felt Kokichi stiffen slightly under him and his attention on the game vanished.

 

“Well, I wasn’t expecting this.”

 

Shuichi chuckled, “really? I couldn’t tell.”

 

Kokichi paused the game, shifting his head to the side enough to meet eyes with Shuichi. They were bright blue, nothing compared to Rantaro’s green but he empathized with the longing in his eyes. Shuichi blinked at him for a second before looking away and finding his nose buried in the fabric of his sweater.

 

“Are you upset, Shuichi?”

 

Shuichi sighed. It was rare that Kokichi would say his name but he felt a sort of calmness from it. He closed his eyes, voice coming out as near a whisper.

 

“Aren’t you, Kokichi?”

 

The silence was his answer and they sat together for a little while longer, basking in the tranquility of it all. Of course he was upset. They both were. It was the only thing either of them could possibly feel though in that moment. Nothing but that feeling, that shroud of loneliness and heartache. It wasn’t as if they hated the other’s company, but God they wished they had the one they truly wanted. 

 

When Kokichi had turned around and softly pushed Shuichi to the ground with one arm, they both had the same thought in their heads. It was a stupid idea, but it was worth a shot, right? Shuichi looked up, unable to see anything but Kokichi’s thin lips curling into a somewhat grin.

 

“Why don’t you pretend I’m Kaede?”

 

Already Shuichi was doubting him and if it wasn’t for the fact Kokichi had him pinned to the floor, his knee shoved in the small space between his legs, Shuichi would have quickly slipped out from under Kokichi and went back to his corner of the room, most likely pretending Kokichi had never said what he did.

 

“That’s ridiculous. You’re a guy, Kokichi, I can’t just suddenly pretend you’re—“ Shuichi’s voice died down to a choked gasp as he watched Kokichi’s head dip down to the crease between his cheek and neck. It was a gentle kiss, just to test the waters, but Kokichi quickly found himself giving the skin a lap with his tongue. Shuichi shivered but he couldn’t find the voice to say anything. He couldn’t tell whether or not he liked it but it didn’t take him long to reassure the situation in his mind.

 

_Kokichi doesn’t see me like that. Whether I see him as Kokichi or not, it doesn’t matter._

 

Shuichi shut his eyes for just a second, besides hearing Kokichi’s faint breathing atop him, listened in to the pounding rain from outside. Kokichi’s hand slipped loosely into his, keeping him steady.

 

“It doesn’t matter,” He murmured aloud, leaning his head to one side as another kiss grazed his neck, “I’m just a replacement anyway.”

 

Kokichi seemed to nod at his words and withdrew, blinking down at Shuichi for just a second before leaning down, lips aiming for Shuichi’s. The blue haired boy turned his head a bit to the side. Kokichi pulled away, head lazily lolling to one side as his eyes rolled.

 

“What, having second thoughts?”

 

“You’re the one that wanted to do this, Kokichi.” Shuichi turned his head and found himself staring into purple eyes, completely disinterested in the situation. “Like I mentioned before, you’re a guy. You can’t expect me to just close my eyes and pretend you’ve swapped gender, hair color and personality.”

 

“Too cruel,” Kokichi rolled his eyes, “I think I find myself pretty attractive.”

 

“Yeah, that’s why Rantaro’s all over you.”

 

“You’ve got no right to talk.”

 

The rain somehow fell harder, the sky darkening. They stared at each other, not in the mood for anymore quips. Shuichi waited, slowly growing impatient but he wouldn’t bring himself to speak and ruin the moment. Kokichi opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment and then spoke.

 

“Close your eyes.” He whispered and Shuichi was about to argue before Kokichi cut him off, “just try it.”

 

Shuichi obliged, albeit after a sigh, He felt nothing at first, but knew Kokichi was still on top of him, his body heat sending shivers down Shuichi’s spine. At once, he felt a hand cup his cheek and slowly trace up to his forehead. Shuichi searched his mind, amidst all the old memories of Kaede. The touch was soft, fingertips cold but they were thin, dainty, _like Kaede’s._ His heart began to pound, faster and faster. The world felt distant, Kokichi nothing but a fading memory as the feeling of _her_ palm warmed his skin with each touch. His world shattered when he felt a soft kiss at his forehead, warming every nerve of his body with the heat of pure affection. It was all he ever wanted.

 

 _Her_ lips left his forehead and soon found their way pressed against his own. Shuichi couldn’t manage a single noise of surprise, _she_ sucked his breath away. He felt the blush rushing to his cheeks and his heart bubbled up in his chest. 

 

_It was electric._

 

Shuichi opened his eyes slowly as Kokichi broke away, his eyes narrowed, focused sorely on Shuichi.

 

“That was my first kiss.” Shuichi muttered, chuckling inwardly at the way Kokichi raised an eyebrow.

 

“You’re kidding.”

 

“Really.”

 

Shuichi tightened his grip on Kokichi’s hand, forcing his attention onto him. Kokichi seemed to smirk quietly to himself, blinking at Shuichi as if he knew what he was going to say.

 

“One more time.”

 

Shuichi shut his eyes once more, just before his lips would have met Kokichi’s. There was a moment of hesitation, and Shuichi nearly opened his eyes to check what was wrong before he felt something wet lap at his upper lip. Kokichi kissed him suddenly, the action of both his tongue and his aggressiveness catching Shuichi off guard enough for him to let out a gasp. Shuichi felt Kokichi’s grip on his hand tighten and he relaxed, letting Kokichi take control — he seemed to have more experience anyway. Throughout all this, besides his mind wondering toward Kaede, Shuichi couldn’t help but wonder if he was doing his job as Kokichi’s replacement well enough. Would he kiss Rantaro like this? Would he hold his hand and claim him so easily with simple swipes of his tongue? 

 

Shuichi shook the thought away and when he did, Kokichi had broken away from him again. He must have needed air, or gotten tired of kissing since his attention was once again focused on Shuichi’s neck while his hands slipped down to unbutton the first few buttons of his uniform. Shuichi’s eyes tightened close and reassured himself in his mind. _Those are Kaede’s hands._

 

 _Her_ hands went lower and Shuichi felt like crying. So much pent up emotion spilling out into a few tears at the creases of his eyes. _It was Kaede_ kissing softly at his neck. _It was Kaede_ running a thin finger down his abdomen, tracing tiny circles in his skin. _It was Kaede_ who had grabbed his—

 

Shuichi’s hands went up to his mouth, quickly muffling the cry he felt spilling out. He needed to stay quiet. It would ruin the whole thing if Kokichi heard him. To Kokichi, Shuichi was Rantaro and that was what he needed to continue thinking. Shuichi couldn’t speak, couldn’t make a noise, couldn’t say her name no matter how desperately he wanted to. 

 

_Concentrate._

 

Just as Shuichi had held in another strangled noise, his lips met _Kaede’s_ again and inwardly he sighed. Both their eyes were closed. They couldn’t see each other. It was just him and Kaede. Nothing else, no one else. He needed to do all he could. Just to remember her. Her smile, her laugh, her eyes, her voice, her _everything._

 

When Shuichi opened his eyes, he panted softly, feeling a few tears slide down the side of his face. He blinked up at Kokichi who was looking over at Shuichi’s side. Beside him was Shuichi’s phone, buzzing and lighting up with a text message. Shuichi looked over, face flushing as he realized Kaede herself had texted him. A simple: _thanks for letting me borrow your notes yesterday._ Shuichi stiffened slightly, eyes shifting away from his phone and back up to Kokichi.

 

“Do you want to stop?” Kokichi asked and Shuichi didn’t respond immediately. “I think you’ve had enough for today, but is this something you want to keep doing?”

 

Shuichi didn’t have an answer. He couldn’t begin to even think of one.

 

They stopped talking soon after. Kokichi wasn’t sure if it was the actions itself or maybe just Shuichi’s feelings for Kaede overwhelming him, but he held no ill will toward Shuichi. He simply continued on with his daily life, acting as if what happened on that rainy June day was nothing more than a fleeting memory, nothing of great importance.

 

It was only after Shuichi found himself rejecting a girl who had claimed she liked him that he found himself visiting Kokichi’s dorm room, surprising him with his presence. Shuichi said nothing at first when Kokichi opened the door, simply stood there, his eyes unsure of whether to look him directly in the eye or not.

 

“I didn’t think you’d come back.”

 

When Shuichi didn’t respond, Kokichi moved a hand up to cup the side of his cheek, fingers twirling his blue hair softly. Kokichi invited him in, and they quickly found themselves pressed against each other. A quick kiss, soft, gentle, a means of saying _I missed you_ but not toward each other directly but the other person they associated them with. When they broke, Shuichi found himself sitting at the edge of Kokichi’s bed while the purple haired boy sat on the floor, looking up at him intently.

 

“Do you want to say we’re dating?”

 

Shuichi narrowed his eyes and grumbled, “are you sure you won’t fall in love with me? Your standards seem pretty low anyway.”

 

Kokichi giggled, “oh please, you’re not my type.”

 

Shuichi smiled at the remark, “you’re not mine either.”

 

Shuichi stuck out his hand, lifting his pinky in the air and watched Kokichi mimic his actions. That day, in the hazy humidity of summer, they made a pact. That neither of them would fall in love with the other. If one happened to make it with the one they wanted, the relationship would end. 

 

“Simply put,” Kokichi murmured, a smile creasing his lips, “ _you can have everything but my feelings.”_

 

“And you can have everything but mine.”

**Author's Note:**

> GOD this was fun to write. 
> 
> I did try to base this fic off the main events of episode one of the anime so if you’re drawing any *parallels* from this and Scum’s Wish then that’s why.
> 
> I’ll... go excuse myself after that.
> 
> Thank you for reading!


End file.
